Nonclogging spray nozzle



A. L. WEBRE NONCLOCQING SPRAY NOZZLE Filed Aug. 25, 1922 Spray cooling equipment require Pa&ezmted Dee 4, E928 UNHF TATS PATEN FFHCE ALFRED I... WEBBE, 0F WINCHES'IER, MASSACHU'SETTS, ASSIGNOR '.!.0 E. B. BADGLER.

A'ND SONS COMIANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A COBIPORATION' 0F MASSA- CH'USETTS.

NONCLOGGING SPRAY NOZZLE.

Applicaton filed August 23, 1922. Serial No. 583,680.

The present jnvention relates to nozzles by Which water Or other suflciently fluid liquid may be discharged as a spray of finely divided particles. Such nozzles are commonly used in circumstances where it is required either to misten air, or to 0001 considerable quantities of water as rapidly as possible by evaporation and contact with air in open spaces. An instance of sueh a use is the familiar spray pond equipment by which water which has been used for cooling purposes, for condensing steam and for ot-her p-urposes, is itself cooled.

Although the utility of the present invention is not limited to the spraying of water, nevertheless in the following specification I Will, in the interest of brevity, in describing the purpose and function' of my nozzle as- ,sume that water is the liquid treated, water t-hen being considered as t-ypical of any liquid which may be sprayed by means of a nozzle having the characteristics hereinafoer described and claimed.

The main objecfi of the inVention is to furnish a nozzle which Will be free from liability of becoming clogged by solid matter earried by the water entering it, (particularly matter in the nature of long fibers or stringy materal, sueh as the vegetation -Which grows on the shores bi spray ponds) and at the same time to obtai'n by such nozzle a better character of spray, With a subdivision of the water into particles of more uniform size, and generally smaller size, than has been obtained by spraying deviceS of the kinds heretofore nown.

The non-clogging function is of particular importance in connection with nozzles used for spraying water (in orfier to cool it) Whieh has already been used for cooling purposes. Frequently water available for this purpose contains more or less vegetable matter and sediment Which is unable to pass through the narrow waterways of those nozzles Which are equipped with interior vanes and other obstruct1ons designed to induce a whirling motion in the flowing water or for causing impingement of streams on one another, to produce spray, wherefore such nozzles eventually become clogged by the arrested matter. 4 Correct design and eflcient operation of a number of nozzle's be neither-more nor less than that Which besttransform into spray, under pressur ava1lable with best economy 'filed J uly 20, 1921, Serial thai; 1the for spraying it, the quantity of water required to be cooled, and that all the nozzles so provided be in conditon to operate ai: their full capacity a1 1 the time. Ii an excessive num r of nozzles be provided in order. to allow for later clogging of some of them che gress1ire ai: each nozzle, before any of tbem ecome elogged, Will be t0o low to atomize the water fully enough and distribute it widely enough, for good cooling eflect. On the other band, if the number of nozzles is fixed without allowance for clogging and some of them beeome clogged, then either greater pressure must be supplied (at increased expense) in order to spray a given quantity of water, or the quantity of Water c1reulated will be diminished end the cooling efieot to that extent also diminshed.

The manner in Which I have accomplished the objects above stated and the characteristics of the invention to which I make claim can best be explained in connection with the 4 description in detail of a form of nozzle which has been proved bo be satisfactory. Such description follows, and therein reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which,-

Figure 1 is a ferred to.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the nozzle.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 are vertical se'ctions on lines 4-4, 5-5, 6-6 and 7--7, respectively, of Figure 1, but beingrepresentd on a Iarger scale than thai: ofthe preceding figures. Like reference characters designate the 'same parts wherever they occur in all the figures.

The nozzle particularly illustrated in the foregoing figures and hereinafter described embodieg the same fundamental prinoiples as the nozzle dishlosed in my prior application for Letters Patent of the United States No.- 486,094, bui: contains certain improvements in design and a new feature in means for aitomatically draining the nozzle: As to alleommon subjectmatter th is applcation is a continuation of the preceding one above named, the application date of which is claimed as that of con'structive reduction vto practice of such common subject matter.

St1ucturally the nozzle comprises a-main or body portion a which, for convenence of plan view of the nozzle re- V Which the spray s composed. These results depend, in the absence of any guide vanes or other internal means for creatng spray, mainly on the correct shape of the junction between the bottom and side walls, forming the channel nto which water s first admitted, and on the convergent taper of the rside walls from this channel to the zone which bounds the outlet orifice. Other factors contributing to the desired end are the arrangen1ent of the inlet passage and the ratios of the primary orifice to the largest dameter of the bowl, to the diameter of the secondary orifice, and. to the distance betvveen the prinel through which mary ancl secondary orifices.

The bottom is plane in the central part, but joins the side walls on a curve havng the same radius as the primary orifice. in the parts designated le in Figures 4 to 7. The admission passage b merges in its outer and lovver parts with the curved junction vvall k, and its inner and upper parts are bounded by a partton Z Which preferably extends into the bowl far enough to bring the plane of the primary orfice c nearly radal to the bowl. In other words, the preferred length of the inner boundary of the inlet passage within the bovvl s that which locates the primary orifice in a plane perpendicular to its axis, and so near to that radius of the bowl Whch also s perpendicular to such axis, that the stream of water issuing from the orifice has no opportunity to spread before being divertecl into a circular path by the Walls of the bowl.

The conformity of the curvature k wth the orifice c continues through half, more or less, of the circuit of the bovvl from the orfice, or nearly to the intersecton of plane 7*7 vvith the opposite sicle of through the remainder of the circuit to the partition Z, the radius of the curved junction Wall, Which forms the boundary of the chanwater flows in making the first circuit of the nozzle, is pfogressively lengthened and its center of curvature progressively elevated and drawn inward toward the axis of the bovvl, as Will be evdent from a go1ng statements comparson of the curves 7%, 10 k and in Figures 7 6, 5 and 4, respeotively. This characteristic may be expressed in terms of geometry, as that the locus of the successive centers of transverse curvature of the lower water channel, is a circular are through the first part 01": the circuit of the bowl, and through the remainder of the circuitis an ascending ancl contractng spiral, so located that the arcs of progressively increasing radius centered on this locus are tangent to the bottom and side walls of the bowl.

It should be noted, however, that the foreare not intended' to define any particular or exact progressioh of centers and radi, but are to be construedfls indicating in a general way the relation existis permittecl to spread the bowl; and tl1ereafter,

the velocities ng betvveen the parts in question. What s practicallymportant, s that the water channel is rased an cl widened in approachng the .inner Wall Z of the inlet passage after makng the crcut of the bowl, whereby the water stream s mainly raised above the enterng jet, and that the surfaces of the channel merge Wth the channel partiton on smooth stream l ne curves. Thus the water whch has passeol once around the bowl is causecl to jon and flow besde the entering stream wthout interference or formaton of Wasteful ecldy currents. At the same time, the water s impelled toward the outlet in a spiral path, and graclually uncler the pressure of centrfugal force into a film conformng to the conical Walls. Although a small part of the Water passes under the inward bulge of the partition Z, this part merely fi lls the space betvveeri the entering jet and the bottom wall wthout having any substantial dverting or impeding eifeot on such jet,

8I1C6 the initial velocity of the water is mantainecl substantally Without retardation, other than that due to frction on the surroundng Walls.

The high velocity of the whirling water, procluced by the inflovving jet, oreates centrifugal force of large magnitude whch holcls the water against the outer walls, leaving the mddle of the bowl empty, ancl apples pressure through the water in 2111 directions, except invvardly, with the eflect of raising the water through the outlet. Ths latter effect s augmented by the deflectirip acton of the nozzle bottom. Tl1e water does not fill the outlet, but passes through t in an annular film of whch the thickness is determineol by the differencebetween the areas of the primary and secondary orifices and by of the water passing these orifices. After passing the secondary orfice, such film leaves the nozzle as a come. the angle of Whch is dependent on the resultant v of centrifugl force and the axial velocity of until t finally breaks into a film passing the outlet, and this, in turn, is

obtained by the character of motion given to the Water in the bowl, as already explained.

The proportions of the varous parts of the particular nozzle herein shown and described are believed to have a c0ntr'ibutory influence in obtaning the efect previously described, and to seou1*e other useful results as Well.

Thus the height from the bottom of the no zzle the film becomes more and III to the secondary orifice is comparatively small in proportion to the diameter of the primary orifice, being between three and four times as great; and the greatest dameter of the bowl is in approxinmtely the sumo ratio to the primary orifice, while the diameter of the secondary orifice is between two and three times that of the primary orifice. It follows thence that the lift from the inlet to the outlet is low, the back pressure small, end friction a minimum, that the body of water in the nozzle requiring to be rotated by the incoming jet is small in proportion to the mass of the jet, thai; any single particle need make but a few eircuits of the bowl before being discharged, that the inner diameter of the first circuit of the entering stream is less than the diameter of the out'let, wherefore no water need accumulate within such circuit before discharge can occur, and that the bottom of the bowl is free of water in its middle, Which makes possible the provision of 1 central open hole without floW of water through such l1ole When the nozzle is in operation.

It should be noted that the proportions just given are not exact limitations 01 the invention, but may be more or less widely departed from within the scope in which I claim protection. Nevertheless they are important and valuable features on account of the improved eflects in spraying and the economies of first cost and in operation which result from them. As to the item of low first cost, it Will be noted that the whole nozzle may be made as a single casting, requiring little finishing beyond cutting the attachment thread and possibly reaming the inlet passage, and that the form of such casting is an inexpensive one to produce. Besides, ,tbe large fiow capacity in proportion to the mass of material composing the individual nozzle, and freedom from liubility to clog, make it possible to provide co1tinuously efi'ective equipment for spraying a given quantity of water in a, given time, W1th a minimum number of nozzles.

The tangential inlet at the bottom, enables the nozzle to be applied to the end of a horizontal pipe vvithout requiring such pipe to be bent upwardly or provided with an upstanding section, and thus enables the nozzle to be located close to the surface of the pond when used as part of spray oooling equipment. An important advantage results from t-his relatively low position of the nozzle, in

i that, with a given pressure head, more water can be forcd through the nozzle and transformed into a finer spray end driven higher above the outlet and spread more widely, than is possible with the use of nozzles huving an axial inlet, whioh must be mounted on upturned or upright pipes and, therefore, cannot practicably be located so near the surface of the pond. Or alift end spreadofspray equivalent to that from the axial inlet nozzle may be obtained from a lower pressure l1ead, whereby power or pumping the water to the spray system may be eoonomized. Further eeonomy of power results from the reduction of riction and of jet intert'erence, due to the interim formation and absence of vanes or other obstructions in the nozzle, as previously set forth.

If it were not-for the drain hole i in the bottom of the nozzle, however, placement of the nozzle at the low level with respect to the surface of the pond, as just described, would not be possible with safety in climates where the occurrence of' low temperatures require the nozzle and piping to be emptied of water, when shut down, in order to avoid damage by freezing, or Wliere other conditions rcquire emptying at such times. The branch pipe arms may be connected to the under side of the mains and led with a down- Waid pitch to the nozzles mounted on their extremities, wherefore all the piping, as well as the nozzles themselves, will be automatically drained through the nozzle draimhole at once Wl1en the water is shut ofll'.

Although in the foregoing description I have explained the utility and advantages of the invention in relation to the use for which it is particularly designed, I desire it to be understood that my claims to protection are not limited to such use, but are iritended to protect the novel end useful characteristics of the invention however they may be applied to use. It is to be further understood that various modifications in and departures from the particular embodiment of the invention herein described may be made within the scope of the invention end of the protection hereinafter claimed.

What I claim end desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A spray nozzle comprising a hollow body of generally circular cross section in planes perpendicular to a longitudinal line, said body having a wall at one end, an outlet orifice adjacent to the opposite end, said orifice being substantially concentric with the body and 01" substantially larger area and dimensione than the after-mentioned inlet, and a tangential inlet adjacent to the end in which said wall is located, the side walls of the body being of tapered formation convergently from the part in which the inlet is located toward the outlet orifice.

2. A non-ologging spray nozzle comprising a bowl-like body having a wholly open interior with a tangential inlet at one end and an outlet at the opposite end, the outlet orifice being substantially conce1itric with the body end of substantially larger area end dimensions than the inlet orifice, and the body having fin end Wiill adjacent to the inlet, and side walls of substantially conical formution joining' the end Wall at the largest diam eter of such formation.

3. A spray nozzle comprising a hollow body free from interior obstructions and of generally circular cross section in planes perfiendicular to a longitudinal lime, said body aving a tangential inlet adjacent to one end and an outlet orifice adjacent to the opposite end, said orifice being substantially concentric With the body and of substantiall larger area and dimensions than the inlet, and having also an end wal1 adjacent to the inlet and side walls of tapered formaton converging toward the outlet orfice, the side walls being joined With the end Wall on a smooth curve, and the junction between the end and side Walls in a part of the body being inclined toward the outlet orifice.

4;. A non-clogging spray nozzle havng an end wall and conically arrang'ed side walls joined to the end wall and being convergentf ly inclined thence to the outlet orifice, and the nozzle having an inlet passage entering tangentially at the junction between said end and side walls and terminating in a circular orifice of less diameter than the outlet ori fico, Which outlet orifice has a larger radi'us than the distance from the axs of the nozzle to the inner boundary of the nlet orfice.

5. A non-clogging spray nozzle comprising a hollow body with an open unobstructed intcrior,-having its interior surface of substantially conical form converging substantially from an end wall to a restricted zone surrounding an outlet orifice, and having an inlet passage arranged substantially tangentially of said body adjacent to said end wall, the latter and said interior surface being formed to cause the liquid entering the nozzle to flow around said 1nterior surface in the form of a spiral hollow stream of decreasing thickness to said outlet.

6. A pray n'ozzle havng an end wall and tapered side walls which are joined to said end wall and are convergently inclined thence toward the outlet orifice, said nozzle having an inlet passage entering tangential- 1y at the juncti'on between said end and side walls, 'Which passage has-converging sides and terminates in a primary orifice of less area and dimensions than the outlet orifice; said primary orificebeing Wthin the nozzle and in a plane near and approximately parallel to the diametral plane of the nozzle which is perpendicular to sage.

the axis of said inlet pas- 7. A spray nozzle comprisiug a bowl-like body havmg an entirely open mterior With a transverse wall at one end, an outlet orifice at the opposite end, side walls converging from their junction With the end walls toward said orifice, and a tangential entrance passage at said junction terminating in an orifice of less diameter than the outlet orifice, but the diameter of which is so great that the inner side'of the stream issuing thcrefrom is not substantially further distant from the axis 8. A spray nozzle comprising a bowl-like body'having an entirely open interior With a transverse wall at one end, an outlet orifice at the opposite end, side Walls converging from their junction With the end walls toward said orifice, and a tangential entrance passage at said junction terminating in an orifice of less diameter than the outlet orifice, said junction having a transverse curvature of Which the radius of curvature is approximately equal to that of the inlet orifice, in the firstpart of the circuit of the bowl from said orifice, and in the Jatter part of such circuit said radius of curvature becomes progressively longer.

9. A spray nozzle comprising a bowl-like body having an entirely open interim with a transverse wall at one end, an outlet orifice at the opposite end, side walls converging from their j unction With the end walls toward said orifice, and a tangential entrance passage merging With said junction as to the outer part of its boundary wall and extending into the interior of the bowl as to the inner part of said boundary wall, having its termination in a circular orifice of less diameter than the outlet orifice; said junction having a transverse curvature of Which the radius is substantially the same as that of the inlet orifice in the first part of the circuit of the bowl from said orific, and incrcases in the last part of such circuit, Whereby the channel for the flowin liquid stream is inclined toward the axis 0 the bowl and toward the outlet in its approach to the inner Part of said boundary Wall.

10. A spray nozzle hav ng an end wall and side walls joining to form a channel, the side walls converging from said end wall toward an outlet orifice, an ii1let passage arranged tangentially to the nozzle opening into said channel and having a terminal orifice smaller than said outlet orifice, said channel having a changing orm tending to incline the stream flowing from said in1et, toward the outlet orifice and also inwardly toward the axis of the nozzle as such stream approaches the completion of its first circuit of the nozzle.

11. A spray nozzle 'comprising an open bowl having atransverse bottom and conical side walls tapering upwardly toward a disc-harge orifice, an inlet passage bpening tangentially of the bowl into the Channel formed y the unct-ion between the bottom and side walls, said passage being of progressively diminishing area and terminatin in an inlet orifice of less diameter than the ischarge orifice, said orifice being in part bounded by the Walls of said channel, and there being a partiton extending into the nozzle and forming the remaining boundaries of the orifice, the bottom of such channel, in the circuit of the nozzle followed by the incoming water, being raised as it approaches said partition, whereby to direct che flowing stream over the entering jet and toward the outlet orifice.

12. A nozzle comprsing a bowl having a transverse bottom and upwardly converging conical sdes, the space ncluded withn the junction of said bottom anc1 sides having a rounded contour and being a channel for entering water, an inlet passage extending tangential1y into the nozzle end having an orifice withn the bowl, a part of the boundary of whch orifice substantally merges with the bounding W2L1]. of said channel, and. sad bounding wa11 having a transverse curvature of which the locus of the center of the curvature s substantia1ly concentrc with the axs and parallel to the bottom of the nozz1e in the first part of the circuitof the nozzle and in che latter part of such crcuits an ascending and inwardly contracted spral, the radius of curvature of such last pari; being progressive- 1y lengthened in accordance wth the rise of such locus, whereby the channel s so formed as to c1irect the flowng water mainly above the incomng jet upon completion of the first circuitof the nozzle.

13. A nozzle comprisng a bowl having a substantally flat bottom end concal sides converging upwardly to a discharge orfice of substantal dimeter, an n1et passage openng tangentially of the bowl into the channel formed by the juncton of the bottom and side walls and havng a terminal orifice, the outer part of which s substantially coincident with the boundary of said channel, said nozz1e having approximately the following proportions, diameter at bottom between three and four t-mes the dameter of said inlet orifice, diameter of out1et orfice between tWo and three times that of the inlet orifice, end heght from bottom to p1ane of out1et orifice three to four times the diameter 0f nlet orifice.

14. A nozzle comprising a, bow1 having a bottom, conica1 wa1ls converging to an outlet orifice of substantial size, a1cl atangential inlet passage terminatng in a primary orfice close to the junction between said bottom and sides, said primary orfice being of1ess diameter than the outlet orfice, and the bow1 being otherwse so proportioned that the inner boundary of said primary orifice is al; a distance from the axis of the bowl which s less than the radius of the outlet orfice.

15. A nozzle comprising a bowl havng a bottom Wth a hole in its center, conical side wal1s convergng to an outlet orifice of substant-ial size, and a tangental nlet passage terminating in a primary orifice close to the juncton between sad bottom and sides, said primary orfice being of les's darneter than the out1et orfice, and the bowl being otherwise so proportioned that the inner boundary of said primary orifice s at a distance from the axs of the bow1 whch is less than the ra dius of the out1et orifice and. that the radius of saic1 bottom hole is enough less than sac1 dstance to prevent large1y escape of water rom such ho1e when the nozzle is in operaton.

16. A nozzle comprising a bowl having a bottom wth a ho1e in its center ano1 concal sde wa11s tapering frorn said bottom to un outlet orifice of relatively large diamecer, and an inlet passage enterng tangentally at the junction between said bottom and sides and havng a dia1neter at the point of emission less than that of the out1et orfice and 1ess a1so than the difference between the radius of the widest part of sad nozzle and the radius of said hol-e, whereby in che operation 0 che nozzle water is dscharged who11y or main1y through saicl outlet orfice and the dscharge of water through said hole s nappreeiable.

17. A spray nozzle comprisng a hollow bqdy of substantially ercular cross section in planes perpendieular to a longitudinal 1ine anc1 beng of larger cliameter ai; one end than at the other, wth an outlet orifice in its part of smallest diameter, and a tangentally arranged in1et, smaller in area than said outlet orifice, at the part of larger dameter, the larger end having an end. wall, and Such Wa11 ha,ving a centrally located hole, che Circumference of whch s substantally within the nner li1ni t of the annular path followed by the lquid passing through the nozzle.

18. A nozzle comprsing a hollow body of generally eircular cross section in planes transverse to a longitudinal 1ine, said. nozzle having an outlet orfice adjacent to one end,

side walls eonvergently nclne'd toward sac1 orifice, and an end wall, the side and end walls be-ing arranged to fonn an open nterior chamber substantially larger in dameter than the outlet orifice, and the nozzle havng an in1et opening tangentially nto sai-d chamber and of an area too sma1l to admit 1quid enough to fi11 said chamber when -free discharge from the outlet orfice s permitted, and the end Wal1 havng a dran openng in a central location and of such smal1 dametev that the path of the liqud flowing through the nozz1e in normal op-eraton is substantally outside of the circumferenee of such opening.

19. A spray nozzle comprsing a, genera11y bowl-like body having a bottom wa1l at one end and 2L11 outlet orfice in the o-ther end, and side wa11s which are convergently inclned towarcl the out1et orfice, the said body being ormed wth an open interor chamber adj acent to the larger end, whch s substan-- tial1y larger in diameter than the.outlet orifiee, and havng a, tangentially arrnged inlet of such small area in proportion tothe volume of the chamber and. the dscharge capacity of the nozzle that lqud foreed through the nozzle W11 flow in an annular pa,th in said chamber, leaving the central pari; thereof clear of lquid; and. sad end wall having a drain opening communicating with said central pari; and being locatedsubstantially wholly within the annula-r path taken by the flowing liqui-d.

20. A nozzle comprising essentially a boyvl having an open interim with a transverse Wall ai; one end and a, discharge orfice at the other end, said orifice being of smaller arew a.nd dimensions than the bottom, and the bowl having side wallshaving a gradual enlargemeni; from said orifice toward the end wall, t-hejunction between the end and side walls being so formed as to provide a water channel of transverse curvature; and the nozzle having also un inlet passage openng tangentially of the bowl into said channel a'nd having an encl0sing partition which extends into the interim of the bowl, said channel being elevated and widened in its approach, followng the circuit of water admitted to the bowl, to- Wa1d the side of said parttion.

21. spray nozzle comprising a, bottom wall, sde walls joined to the bottom Wall and and an inlet passage opening into the channel formed by the juncton between said bottom and side Walls and arranged tangentially thereof, the smallest transverse area of such nlet passage being small enough in proportion to the area of the outlet orifice to avod filling the nozzle with water When in normal operation; sad bottom wall having a ho-le in approximately its middle parti, che radius of which s shorter than the radius of the path followed by the stream which issues from the inlet passage.

In testimony whereof I have afixed my signature.

ALFRED L. WEBRE. 

